Brassiere



Aprifl M, 1935.

J. R. BOWEN BRASSIERE Filed July 5, 1955 ENVENTOR Patented Apr. 16, 1 935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRASSIERE Application July 5, 1933, Serial No. 679,040

'3 Claims.

This invention relates to a brassiere. Brassieres are primarily intended to hold the breasts firmly in upright position, so as to lend attractiveness to the female figure. For this purpose, it has been customary to provide cups for the breasts, at the front of the garment, which closely encompass the breasts. The garment is fastened usually at the rear, as by separable fasteners attached to the rear meeting edges.

The use of brassieres of this type is not wholly satisfactory. Thus if a brassiere of this character is snugly fitted to the breasts, there is a tendency to depress them, which is obviously contrary to what is desired. Furthermore, there is a tendency for the front center part of the brassire to separate from the hollow formed between breasts, especially when the wearer is active.

It is one of the objects of the invention to make it possible to hold the breasts with a bras siere in firm, upright position under all conditions of use.

In furtherance of this object, the brassiere is fashioned to cling to the hollow between the breasts, preventing the breasts from contacting at the center, and the brassiere serves to maintain at all times, a substantial hollow between the breasts. The breast cups are furthermore so formed that there is a steep rise in that portion of the cup which covers the breast adjacent the lower center portion of the hollow between the breasts. In this way, bridging of the wearers breasts is prevented. These cups are further more appropriately reinforced so that they may retain the desired dome shape.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form shall now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a front view of a brassire incorporating the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a developed view of those parts of the brassire which when sewed together form one of the cups; and

Fig. 3 is a pictorial illustration of the brassiere shown on a wearer.

The brassiere is shown as having ends I and 2 adapted to be joined at the back of the wearer. An elastic fabric 3 adjacent end 2, can be provided for ensuring a snug fit around the ribs 01' the wearer.

The front of the brassiere has the two cups 4 and 5 for covering the breasts of the wearer, and for holding them firmly in the desired cone shaped position. The material utilized for the cups 4 and 5 can be of any conventional type, such as silk, net, lace or other suitable fabric that is readily conformable to the contour of the breasts so as to overlie the breasts closely. Adjacent the cups 4 and 5 are the side members 6 and 1, arranged to extend under the arms of the wearer. Adjustable shoulder straps 8 and 9 of conventional type can also be provided, extending around the shoulders of the wearer, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

It is important to ensure that the breasts of the wearer will be adequately supported without any danger of their bridging in the center. In other words, a definite hollow should be maintained at all times between the breasts, keeping them definitely separated from each other. For this purpose, use is madeof a fabric member ill, extending between the cups 4 and 5, and joined to the inner edges thereof. This fabric member 10 is preferably made from relatively inelastic,- stout material, so closely woven that it can withstand stretching. The fabric member has two extensions H and I2, extending around the lower edges of the cups ,4 and 5, and preferably over the center lower edge of the garment. A concave lower edge I3 is formed at the bottom of the fabric member I0, and at the center of the garment.

In order to urge the fabric member it inwardly into the hollow between the breasts, and thereby to keep the two breasts distinctly apart, use is made of an elastic strip M which bridges the concavity l3 and joins the extensions H and H. In use the elastic member it causes the fabric member It to be urged inwardly between the breasts, and to keep the cups and 5 firmly in place over the breasts. The elastic strip it is active at all times during any movement of the wearer, and there is no danger of the cups 4 and 5 being allowed to be displaced from over the breasts.

In order to provide an attractive figure, the r and 5 are made in a manner now to be described.

In this connection, reference can be had to Fig. 2. In this figure, the fabric member l5 corresponds to the upper part of the cup 5. The fabric member l6 corresponds to the lower right hand portion of the cup 5; and a sector I! is arranged to correspond to the lower center portion of the cup 5, adjacent the hollow between the breasts. These members IS, IS and I! are arranged to be stitched or otherwise fastened together as shown by the seams l8, l9 and 20 in Fig. 1. Due to the use of the sector H, the lower portion of the cup 5 adjacent-the hollow between the breasts is caused to have an abrupt rise to the apex, and thus has the desired configuration. As is well understood, notches such as 2| and 22 can be cut in pieces l5 and I6 to provide the domed form of the cups.

It is preferred that the side members 6! be made of material similar to that used for cup members 4 and 5, such as net or lace. Under such circumstances, it is preferable to reinforce the cup members t and 5 so that they may retain the breasts in position even if they are subjected to considerable strain. This is especially important in conjunction with the use of the elastic l4 and the additional sector H, as then the cup members 4 and 5 project quite prominently; and without reinforcement they may fail to support the breasts adequately.

Accordingly, there is provided reinforcement for both of the cups 6 and as by the aid of spiral stitching E3 and 2d. The inner point of the spiral stitching is preferably at or near the apex of the cup, and the stitching extends therefrom in ever widening circles toward the base of cups. The spacing betwee turns of the stitching can be any 00111 931 alue, such as of an inch or ths cf an inc" -d the stitchsing can be formed of quite heavy tin saris.

The combination of the fabric member It with elastic l4 serves to maintain the breasts against bridging; and the configuration of the cups 4 and 5 with.their reinforcement assists in the desired effect of keeping the breasts separate and properly supported.

I claim:

1. In a. brasslre, means forming a pair of breast cups, said cups being made from conformable fabric material capable of closely overlying the breasts of the user, and a fabric member permanently joining the breast cups, each of said cups being formed with a triangular insert adjacent the lower center part of the brassiere, to provide a steep rise of the cups from the hollow between the cups to the apex, each of said cups having a spiral line of stitching for reinforcement, the inner end of the spiral being substantially at the apex, and the outer end adjacent the cup edge.

2. In a brassire, means forming a pair of breast cups, said cups being made from-conformable fabric material capable of closely overlying the breasts of the user, a fabric member permanently joining the breast cups, each of said cups having a spiral line of stitching for reinforcement, the inner end of the spiral being substantially at the apex, and the outer end adjacent the cup edge, said fabric member having extensions extending downwardly and respectively along the lower edges of the cups, and an elastic joining the extensions.

3. In a brassiere, means forming a pair of breast cups, said cups being made from conformable fabric material capable of closely overlying the breasts of a user, and a spiral line of stitching for each cup, extending from substantially the apex toward the outer edge of the cup, forming a plurality of spaced trans. 

